Nearly ten years after Christian Wolff first captivated audiences with his lethal maths skills and socially awkward charm, ‘The Accountant 2’ is here, promising a fresh take on the action-thriller genre. Ben Affleck reprises his role as the brilliant accountant-turned-assassin, this time teaming up with his brother (Jon Bernthal) for a sequel packed with intense action, deadly conspiracies, and even a line-dancing scene. We attended the film’s global press launch to find out more…
Affleck shared his excitement with us about returning to the role of Christian Wolff, emphasizing his love for the character and the original film’s enduring popularity. “I love this character. I really enjoyed playing it. Gavin (director) and I were very much drawn to the idea of bringing Jon back and expanding on that because this guy’s fabulous, and we both felt like there was much more to do.”
Released in 2016, the original movie was a surprise smash hit, making $155.6 million at the global box office, so it’s no wonder the accountant’s in Hollywood were happy to greenlight a sequel. Director Gavin O’Connor revealed that crafting a fresh narrative for the film was a top priority when deciding to return to this world. He dedicated significant time to crafting a new story arc & made a point not to repeat the events of the first film. He believes that maintaining this sense of freshness was essential for the success of this new film. “I didn’t want to recycle the same thing we did in the first film,” he explains, “So, it was a matter of how we start creating the character in a way that is putting him on a different journey, integrating Brax and we wanted to bring Cynthia (Addai-Robinson) back. We knew what the key in the ignition was. I wanted it to be personal for both of these guys.”
One of the film’s standout elements is its unexpected comedic tone, largely stemming from Affleck and Bernthal’s dynamic. O’Connor says the comedy works because neither actor was actually trying to be funny. “Both these characters are slightly bonkers in certain ways, when they’re not getting their wants, it creates a fertile environment for humour.” The director also added that he wanted the film to be fun for audiences. “I wanted to make a movie that was fun and entertaining, [that it would] put people in the seats, the lights come down and have a communal experience where they can walk out of the theatre and go, man, that was a f**king ball. That was just a great that was a great time at the movies. That’s really what we were going for.”
The film doesn’t shy away from exploring deeper emotional themes either. Jon Bernthal described how violence becomes an expression of love between Christian and his brother Brax, “The crux of what is really bothering Brax is the roles we’ve always filled for each other, getting each other’s back, having to be there for each other, and then the lack of being there for each other. It doesn’t culminate just in a gunfight; it culminates in, hey, I’m there for you. I’m getting your back. You’re getting mine. We’re joined forever. It’s a way, for lack of a better word, of showing how much you love somebody. Violence can be that sometimes.”
Amongst the film’s many surprises is when Ben Affleck unleashes his inner Nathan Carter & uses his algorithm skills to perfect some dance moves in a line-dancing scene. Talking about his unexpected dancefloor maneuvers, Affleck explains that Christian uses his comfort with patterns to navigate an unfamiliar situation: “He doesn’t know how to flirt or extend himself emotionally. But he uses something he’s comfortable with—the rhythm of line dancing—to try to connect with her.”
Words – Cara O’Doherty
THE ACCOUNTANT 2 is at Irish cinemas from April 25th